The 40-Year-Old Burnout

These days hearing of burnout is quite common. This needull has been written by a person in academe. Personally, I have always imagined a career in academe to be the most balanced where the chance of burnout is the least. But, I guess we always see the grass on the other side as greener.

I held onto that image right up until the point when — tenured and still in my 30s — I burned out. The job that I had prepared a long time for, that I had succeeded in, and that I was sure I would do for decades to come had become dreadful. It was ruining my life. When a good opportunity for a change came up (not for me, but for my wife, who was offered an academic job halfway across the country), I decided without hesitation to quit and go with her.